2027results about "Drag reduction" patented technology

An aircraft comprises a wing tip device, for example a winglet, a raked-tip device, a wing tip fence or a planar wing extension, mounted in the region of the tip of a wing on the aircraft. The wing tip device is rotatably moveable between a first position and a second position, in which the upward lift produced by the wing or the wing tip device is reduced. During flight, the bending moment at the root of the aircraft wing therefore changes in dependence on the position of the wing tip device. The maximum bending moment in the aircraft wing sustained during high-load conditions is thereby reduced, allowing the structural mass of the aircraft to be reduced.

A safe, quiet, easy to control, efficient, and compact aircraft configuration is enabled through the combination of multiple vertical lift rotors, tandem wings, and forward thrust propellers. The vertical lift rotors, in combination with a front and rear wing, permits a balancing of the center of lift with the center of gravity for both vertical and horizontal flight. This wing and multiple rotor system has the ability to tolerate a relatively large variation of the payload weight for hover, transition, or cruise flight while also providing vertical thrust redundancy. The propulsion system uses multiple lift rotors and forward thrust propellers of a small enough size to be shielded from potential blade strike and provide increased perceived and real safety to the passengers. Using multiple independent rotors provides redundancy and the elimination of single point failure modes that can make the vehicle non-operable in flight.

An airflow control device comprises a body and an active material in operative communication with the body. The active material, such as shape memory material, is operative to change at least one attribute in response to an activation signal. The active material can change its shape, dimensions and / or stiffness producing a change in at least one feature of the airflow control device such as shape, dimension, location, orientation, and / or stiffness to control vehicle airflow to better suit changes in driving conditions such as weather, ground clearance and speed, while reducing maintenance and the level of failure modes. As such, the device reduces vehicle damage due to inadequate ground clearance, while increasing vehicle stability and fuel economy. An activation device, controller and sensors may be employed to further control the change in at least one feature of the airflow control device such as shape, dimension, location, orientation, and / or stiffness of the device. A method for controlling vehicle airflow selectively introduces an activation signal to initiate a change of at least one feature of the device that can be reversed upon discontinuation of the activation signal.

A method and system for air flight is shown. The blended lifting body system includes a lift module, a propulsion module, a payload module and a control system. A conventional control system morphs the other modules through variable buoyant lift, internal structures and a flexible exterior, and varies bio-inspired oscillation in the propulsion module in order to facilitate takeoff, flight and landing. The hybrid dynamic / morphing shape buoyant, dynamic lift-assisted (hybrid) air vehicle, employing aquatic-like (e.g. fin) propulsion was discussed, with many variations and examples.

The present invention provides electroactive polymer transducers that produce out-of-plane deflections. The transducers form a set of surface features based on deflection of an electroactive polymer. The set of surface features may include elevated polymer surface features and / or depressed electrode surface features. Actuation of an active area may produce the polymer deflection that creates one or more surface features. A passive layer may operably connect to a polymer. The passive layer may comprise a thicker and softer material to amplify polymer thickness changes and increase surface feature visibility.